Eyes Wide Shut
by Razoxanne
Summary: The Lazytown gang have grown into rebellious teens and Sportacus is no longer welcome.
1. Chapter 1

As usual Pixel wished that he was back at home sitting amongst the familiar humming of his machines. Looking around at the faces he couldn't help but feel mildly apprehensive and with good reason. Trixie shuffled her feet with impatience. 'So truth or dare, what's it going to be?' Trixie asked with relish, presenting Pixel with the ultimatum feared by teenagers everywhere. Pixel went quiet as he attempted to work out which option might be the safest bet. After a few seconds he gave up glumly, realising with Trixie and Stephanie together, nothing was safe. 'Come On!' Trixie demanded impatiently.

'Ok… umm … dare' Pixel chose, silently praying that they wouldn't think of anything life-threatening.

At his words Trixie, Stingy and Stephanie immediately huddled together. Excited whispers and muffled laughter emanated from the bunched trio but even straining his ears Pixel couldn't make out what they were plotting. After an agonizingly long wait, they broke apart, eyeing him fiendishly. Stephanie cleared her throat to deliver the challenge.

'Pixel, we dare you…' she paused, stringing out Pixel's discomfit for as long as possible, '…to go skinning dipping in the lake' she finished with glee. Pixel heard Trixie snigger and his heart sunk in his chest.

'Unless you're too chicken' Trixie taunted. Laughing, she flapped her arms and made loud clucking sounds.

Pixel's expression clouded over. He reached out for a glass bottle sitting to one side and took a big swig, hoping that they didn't call liquid courage for nothing. He shuddered involuntarily as the hard spirit scorched his throat on its way down. Then, coming to the conclusion that he'd never be able to live it down if he backed out this time around, his expression became resolute. 'I'll do it!' he said determinedly, and without giving himself the opportunity to change his mind, he hastily set off in the direction of the lake whilst the rest of the group followed speedily on his heels.

Approaching the lake they slowed to a halt, mesmerised by its tranquil beauty. The crescent moon with its array of twinkling companions was perfectly reflected in its still black depths. They stood there taking in the magical sight until Stingy, obviously not remotely interested in the prospect of catching a glimpse of a naked Pixel, began skimming pebbles across the water's surface.

Aware that he couldn't put it off any longer, Pixel turned to face the two girls standing beside him.

'Cover your eyes' he instructed.

Giggling, they obediently hid their eyes with their hands.

However, not trusting them for an instant, Pixel ducked behind the refuge of a nearby bush. He removed his headset, placing it carefully on a branch and then wriggled out of his clothes, dumping them into a dishevelled heap. After double-checking to make sure the bush would hide him from view he ran down to the water's edge and plunged in. The water was cool and he couldn't help but shiver slightly.

'How is it?' called Trixie, rushing down to the edge.

'Chilly' Pixel admitted.

He bobbed about for a bit then decided to attempt the butterfly stroke that he had seen demonstrated on TV the other day. He tried for a few minutes before giving up, embarrassed that he might simply be making a fool out of himself. Turning back towards the shore he squinted, trying to make out his friends, but to his surprise he couldn't them anywhere.

'Trixie?' he shouted.

'Stephanie?'

Stumbling out of the water he immediately dashed over to the bush. A shock went through him as his clothes were nowhere to be seen. Panicking he ran around the bush a couple of times just in case, but it was no good, they were definitely not there.

Picking up the nearest available item he made his way cautiously home.


	2. Chapter 2

Twenty minutes later, sat around the campfire, Stephanie and Trixie were still laughing at Pixel's plight. Stingy stood a few metres away pacing back and forth, still uneasy about leaving Pixel in such a predicament.

Trixie took a gulp of whiskey out of the glass bottle. A small hiccup escaped her lips as she began to go through the pile of clothes from where Stephanie had dropped them upon their return. Inspecting the garments one by one, she tossed them haphazardly about.

'Ohhh… check these out Steph' she cooed holding up a stripy pair of white and red boxer shorts.

'Mmm…nice' Stephanie remarked sniggering.

'Yeah, I wonder how Pixel is getting on without them.' Trixie said, chuckling as she caught Stephanie's eye.

'Well I'd hate to think you'd ever do something like that to me' Stingy admonished, horrified at their blithe attitudes.

'Oh lighten up' Trixie groaned, throwing the boxer shorts at Stingy's head.

'Yeah, you're starting to sound just like Sportacus' Stephanie chipped in, 'always don't do this and don't do that'.

Jumping to her feet she launched off into what seemed like a well-rehearsed performance.

'Don't forget to eat your carrots…' she said, wagging a finger in the air.

There was a sudden flash of blue behind her that she critically failed to notice.

'Make sure you don't stay out too late…' Stephanie continued now placing her hands on her hips in imitation of Sportacus's trademark heroic stance.

'Errr…Stephanie.' Trixie squeaked, looking troubled.

'Always remember to brush your teeth…' Stephanie continued, ignoring her friend.

'Stephanie' Trixie persisted, her voice growing louder.

'And most important of all….'

'Pinky!' Trixie finally shouted.

'What?' Stephanie snapped irritably, annoyed at being interrupted mid act.

Taking a gulp Trixie nodded past Stephanie's left shoulder.

'Trixie, this better not be another one of your jokes…' Stephanie warned. Spinning around on the spot she took short leap back in surprise as she came face to face with Sportacus. She realised that he had probably been standing there for some time.

'Oh f…'

'Stephanie, swearing is never called for' Sportacus interjected disapprovingly.

For a split second Stephanie looked taken aback but then her eyes narrowed. 'Haven't you got anyone else to go and pester at this time of night?' she asked venomously.

'Thinking about it isn't it past your bedtime anyway?' Stephanie goaded further.

Trixie's eyes grew wide at Stephanie's audacity. They were all tired of Sportacus putting the dampener on their fun, but in the past they had showed him grudging respect. However, lately Stephanie had been treating him with nothing short of outright hostility. It seemed especially ironic since out of all of them she had been his biggest fan when they were little.

There was a deafening silence as everyone waited to see how Sportacus would react.

Simply ignoring her Sportacus turned away and started to search about the campfire. 'Has anyone seen Pixel's - ah here they are!' he exclaimed upon spotting Pixel's garments strewn about the place. He hopped about picking them up off the ground.

'What's this?' he muttered half to himself coming across an unlabelled glass bottle half-filled with liquid. Sniffing the contents his face fell.

'You know you're too young for this' he said gravely. 'How did you get hold of it?'

No one said anything.

'I'm afraid that I'm going to have to let your parents know about this' he said, shaking his head with disappointment.

Stephanie snuck a peek at Trixie, who looked like she was going to burst into tears. Biting her lip she stepped forward.

'It's mine' she claimed brazenly looking Sportacus straight in the eye.

Sportacus looked unconvinced.

'It's mine' she repeated adamantly. 'I got it off someone from high school, the others didn't have anything to do with it, they didn't want any' she fibbed.

Sportacus looked almost sad.

'Then I'll have to have a word with the Mayor' he said solemnly.

'Fine, whatever' Stephanie said, feigning indifference.

'I think you should all go home now' Sportacus said bleakly, giving them a firm look. Emptying the remainder of the drink onto the grass and tossing the empty bottle into a nearby bin, he somersaulted back down the hill taking Pixel's things with him.

After watching him disappear Trixie gave her friend a weak smile. 'Thanks for that, my parents would have hit the roof…again' she said gratefully, 'and after last time they were seriously threatening to send me away to live with my cousins for a while – and you don't know my cousins'.

'You owe me one' Stephanie agreed, 'my uncle's speeches are starting to get real tedious.' 

Stephanie walked back to Trixie's before returning reluctantly to her uncle's house. By the time she arrived Sportacus was already inside.

She could tell by the way they both stopped talking as soon she entered the room that they were discussing her. They both turned and stood shoulder to shoulder, scrutinising her. Finding their attentions unnerving Stephanie dropped her gaze to the floor.

'Oh Stephanie, what have I told you about underage drinking? It's unacceptable, you're only seventeen!' her uncle wailed.

Stephanie braced herself for the usual long-winded tirade. She had learnt from experience that the less she said the quicker it was usually over.

'What have you been up to? Sportacus said he found Pixel running around town with only a plastic shopping bag to hide his modesty!' the Mayor continued. She knew that he was upset by the way he flustered about.

'Sorry uncle' she muttered, trying to sound genuine.

'Stephanie, if there is anything bothering you, you know you can always talk to us' Sportacus urged her.

Her eyes darted upwards and she fixed them with a look of astonishment. She found it amazing that they still expected for her to be able to easily discuss any issues that might be troubling her with them. Sure, when she was a child and the worst of her problems had been a grazed knee or being trapped up in the treehouse without a ladder, but after she had passed a certain age it had become increasingly difficult and embarrassing to share things with her uncle or Sportacus; and especially after the disastrous talk on the birds and bees her uncle had tried to give her several years back.

Having given her ample opportunity to reply the Mayor heaved a deep sigh as if resigning himself to something unpleasant.

'Sportacus has suggested that a bit of discipline might be what's needed' he said squarely, 'so I've decided to give it a try and as punishment for your behaviour this evening you'll be grounded for the next two weeks'

There was a moment of stunned silence.

'And you'll also be required to complete a drugs test' he added hastily.

Stephanie's mouth fell open.

'You don't seriously believe I'd be messing with that stuff?' she fumed, struggling to keep her outrage in check. She glanced back and forth between her uncle and Sportacus to see if it wasn't some sort of joke but their faces remained deadly serious.

'I'm sorry Stephanie but we - I mean I - need to be sure' The Mayor quickly corrected himself.

Stephanie snorted her derision. 'So he put you up to this too!' she said throwing Sportacus a look of seething resentment.

'You can go to your room now' the Mayor said sternly, paying her allegation no heed.

Gritting her teeth Stephanie barged between them into her bedroom feeling humiliated and rather shocked at her uncle's new no nonsense attitude.


	3. Chapter 3

'Hey Stephie!' Trixie shouted, giving a cheery wave as she spotted her friend waiting outside the gates of Lazytown High.

'So how did it go?' Trixie enquired, rushing up.

Stephanie's expression turned sour, 'awful, the nurses kept on giving me disgusted looks as if I were some sort of low life. I'm sure they thought I was going to try and steal something, they didn't let me out of their sight for an instant, well apart from when I had to go and … you know'

'Go and what'? Trixie asked.

Stephanie rolled her eyes with expiration, wondering just how naïve Trixie could be. 'You know'

Trixie still looked like she hadn't the faintest.

Her cheeks flushing bright pink, Stephanie leant in to whisper in Trixie's ear.

'Oh…right…yeah' Trixie stammered, sounding like she wished he hadn't asked. 'So did you pass?'

'They have to send the sample off to some lab apparently so the results won't be back until tomorrow' Stephanie explained.

'But you will pass, won't you?'

'Seen me snorting any cocaine lately?' Stephanie asked incredulously as they wandered inside the school building.

'Well no…' Trixie admitted, 'listen, you're not still grounded this weekend are you?' she asked, hastily changing the subject.

'No just tomorrow and it's finally over… thank god' Stephanie replied, her voice full of relief, 'spending so much time alone in my room is driving me insane'.

''Cause you'll never guess what, Pixel's finally got hold of the right software to make some fake ID's!'

Stephanie cocked her head. 'Seriously?' she asked, rising an eyebrow. She opened her locker and began shuffling books into her bag.

'Yeah, he downloaded it last night, he said to let you know this morning so you would stop pestering him about it,' Trixie elaborated. 'He says he can fix them up with our photos no problem, what do you think? We could finally check out that nightclub'

'They're good fakes right?' Stephanie asked warily.

'Well Pixel seems to think so' Trixie assured her.

'Count me in' Stephanie agreed giving her locker door a good slam shut. 'So when are we going?'

'Saturday would be best, you can come over to mine and we can get ready together,' Trixie arranged happily. 'My parents will be out bowling as usual, plus Stingy and Pixel are both free that night, I already checked.'

The days slowly rolled around and when Saturday evening finally arrived Stephanie sat perched on the end of Trixie's bed making the final adjustments to her outfit. Pulling on mid-length black boots over her fishnet stockings she stood up to study herself in the mirror. She tugged down her strappy pink top so that it covered her midriff and gave a quick twirl, her short black skirt flaring out around her as spun. Picking up a long sleeve black laced top she threw it across her shoulders and finished by applying lipstick and eyeliner and tying her long pink hair up into a high ponytail.

'What do you think?' she asked, turning towards Trixie.

'Perfect!' her friend appraised. 'So are you ready now?' she asked grabbing up her bag.

'Yep!' Stephanie confirmed excitedly.

'Good, 'cause my parents could be back at any minute'

'So the plan is to sneak in after they've gone to bed?'

'Yeah, anytime after midnight should be fine' Trixie affirmed as they left the house. 'You did remember to tell your uncle you were staying over at mine right?'

'Of course' Stephanie affirmed.

It took them only a few minutes to reach the town square where they had arranged to meet up with Pixel and Stingy the day before.

'So lets see it' Stephanie requested getting straight down to business.

Pixel reached inside his jacket and pulled out an official looking card. He placed it in her upstretched palm.

Inspecting the card carefully Stephanie looked impressed.

'Nice work' she appraised.

'Thanks' Pixel replied, looking pleased with himself.

Just at that moment a cab pulled up in front of them.

'This is it' Pixel confirmed and losing no time, they all piled inside.

As the taxi drove into Casinopolis they all started in awe at the bright neon lights, casinos, hotels and shopping plazas that sped past them.

'Wow' gasped Stingy, 'no wonder Ziggy was so excited about moving here'.

'Yeah, I'm sure he feels right at home with their hyperactive way of life' Pixel agreed.

The taxi pulled up outside a tall gothic style structure with red stained glass windows. The building was skirted by large stone pillars decorated with carvings of winged angels and demons engaged in eternal battle. Statues of leering gargoyles stared at them from the roof directly below which hung huge shimmering gold letters that spelt out the name of the venue: Club Perdition.

They all climbed out onto the pavement. As Pixel took care of the tab the others stared apprehensively at the entrance guarded by two surely looking bouncers.

'Well here goes nothing!' Stingy declared. Steadying his nerves he strode intrepidly up a couple of polished stone steps to the front doors.

'ID please' the right bouncer asked gruffly looking Stingy up and down.

Stingy dutifully handed over his newly acquired fake ID.

'Thank you' said the bouncer handing back the card and then Stingy was gone.

Encouraged by his success, the others wasted no time in making after him into the club.

The music was so loud they could feel the beat pulsing through the floor as they stepped inside. It was still early on in the evening and the main hall was practically empty so they headed upstairs to find a table on the balcony overlooking the main dancefloor.

'Anyone want a drink?' Pixel shouted.

'Archers and lemonade' yelled Stephanie.

'Bacardi and coke' shouted Trixie.

'Mmm…errrr' Stingy deliberated, beleaguered by the vast selection of drinks on offer.

'He'll have a Heineken' said Trixie, taking the choice out of his hands.

Stingy shot her an aggravated look. 'No, I'll have one of those' he said pointing to a huge jug filled with a peach coloured liquid being carted from the bar by a group of tittering girls.

'But that's a girl's drink!' Pixel exclaimed amused.

'No it isn't and I want some' Stingy insisted stubbornly.

'And you're going to drink that all by yourself? Pixel asked sounding sceptical.

'Of course' Stingy replied confidently.

Pixel looked unconvinced but headed off in the direction of the bar.

An hour later and things were much busier downstairs. After grudgingly helping Stingy to finish off his cocktail jug, they all made their way back downstairs. They had to push their way onto the dancefloor, now packed with Saturday night revellers.

It was only twenty minutes later when Stephanie, exasperated by Pixel constant attempts to dance up against her decided to go see what was on going on elsewhere. 'Trixie, I'm going to go see if I can find the R'N'B lounge' she yelled in her friend's ear.

Trixie nodded absent-mindedly, too preoccupied with throwing a pair of glow sticks back across the dancefloor at a couple of guys with punk hairstyles. Stephanie noticed Stingy glowering as he watched her, his arms folded across his chest.

It was well over an hour later just as she was starting to get seriously worried that Trixie spotted Stephanie again. She looked on anxiously as the pink haired girl lurched onto the dancefloor, a huge grin spread across her face.

'Hey Trixie!' Stephanie greeted jubilantly stumbling up to her friend.

'Where have you been? I was just about to go and look for you' Trixie asked uneasily.

'Downstairs!'

Trixie peered about, she hadn't realised there was a downstairs.

'Anyway, you'll never guess who I bumped into… Harriet! You know, that girl we met on holiday last year. She was out with a hen party. We started catching up and the next thing I know we're all sitting down in a group playing drinking games' Stephanie slurred.

'You've been playing drinking games for the past hour?' Trixie asked managing to sound impressed and slightly miffed at the same time.

'Yeah, I was terrible at it' Stephanie said. 'We played this one game, fuzzy duck, and I just couldn't get it right, I kept on saying 'f……'

'Whoa, watch it!' Trixie interrupted grabbing Stephanie by the arm as she swayed dangerously to one side. 'I think it's about time we headed back' Trixie said looking concerned.

'What already? Stephanie moaned.

'Yeah and we'll pick some bottled water on the way out' she added.

It took both Pixel and Trixie's help to get Stephanie back to the taxi rank but they where soon standing back in Lazytown.


	4. Chapter 4

Taking it in turns to help support Stephanie, the friends made their way awkwardly through the deserted streets, illuminated only by the eerie orange glow of the streetlights. Stephanie took a gulp of water from the bottle she held precariously in one hand. 'Hey Pixel you've got to try this!' she exclaimed suddenly, unpredictably tipping the bottle over his head and showering him with water. Muttering obscenities under his breath, Pixel yanked the headset from his head as it fizzled and gave off small electrical sparks. 'What did you have to do that for?' he demanded crossly, snatching the bottle off her, but his question went unanswered. Paying him no heed, Stephanie burst into a rendition of singing in the rain, her voice bouncing loudly off the walls bordering either side of the road. Terrified that the noise might attract unwanted attention, Trixie hastily clapped a hand over her mouth.

'Shh, Stephie' she hissed. 'Stop it or we'll get caught out, you wouldn't want Sportacus to -' Trixie's words caught in her throat as the very man in question seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of her eyes. Looking up she noticed a large black patch void of stars and realised his airship must have been hanging right overhead. For a split second she contemplated dumping Stephanie and making a run for it but realised she would probably have more hope of outrunning a cheetah.

'You wouldn't want Sportacus to what?' Sportacus asked with a wry smile.

'Errr… nothing' Trixie replied evasively.

'Hey who invited him?' Stephanie asked glaring.

'It looks like you could use some help' Sportacus remarked at her inebriated state.

'Not from you' Stephanie said coldly.

'Is there anything you might want to tell me?' he asked casually.

'Nope' Stephanie replied curtly.

'Stingy?' Sporactus asked, folding his arms.

'We…we didn't mean any harm' Stingy stammered. 'We just wanted to go out for a few drinks and a dance, but then she had to go and get blind drunk' he said scathingly, pointing a finger at Stephanie. 'You won't tell our parents, will you?' he asked hopefully.

'No, I won't tell your parents…' replied Sportacus flatly '…but you will, I think it's about time you all learnt something about consequences.'

Stingy's face fell. Accepting that things could be a lot worse, Trixie gave a downhearted nod before nudging Stephanie forwards.

'It's ok, I'll take Stephanie home' Sportacus offered.

With the aide of a bright yellow wall Stephanie managed to maintain her balance as Trixie and Pixel, muttering quick goodbyes, left with Stingy in tow. She stood watching blankly as her friends gradually disappeared around a street corner then suddenly made a wild dash after them, only managing a couple of steps before she tripped up and went flying.

Foreseeing the danger, Sportacus had already dived forwards. Catching her deftly in his arms, he landed on one knee. However, far from being grateful, Stephanie cursed, clawing at his arms with her nails as she fought viciously to break free from his grasp.

'Gerroff me' she cried angrily.

Sportaus set her down gently at once, keeping hold of one shoulder to help her balance.

She gave him a look full of loathing.

'Stephanie, why are you behaving like this?' Sportacus asked, his voice strained, 'can't you see how much it upsets your uncle…and me, when you do these things?' Peering into his ocean blue eyes, the hurt and sadness she glimpsed there only served to infuriate her further.

'Just leave me alone. You don't understand!' she shouted breathlessly. She gave him a sharp shove that didn't even so much as cause him to budge

'We don't make up these rules just to annoy you, it's because we care' he tried to reason, perplexed by her aggressiveness.

'Get away from me!' she shouted, no longer caring whether she woke up the whole town. 'I hate you, I'll never be good enough; there's no point in even trying!'

Though her words stung deeply, Sportacus looked more worried than pained. It was starkly obvious to himnow that her behaviour couldn't merely be attributed to plain recklessness, there was unquestionably more to it than that. He hoped that she finally might be willing to open up and talk about it.

'Good enough for what?' Sportacus probed.

'For you!' Stephanie yelled abruptly, her voice wavering. Twisting, she finally managed to wrench free of his grasp.

Sportacus looked bewildered.

'Because I love you!' The words came tumbling out before she knew what she was saying.

Stephanie flinched as her stomach bunched up into a tight knot. Exhaling a shaky breath, she staggered sideways, reaching out to steady herself against the wall. Her anger drained away and instead hot tears of shock and frustration welled at the corners of her eyes as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Blinking hard, she tried to keep the tears back, not wanting Sportacus to see her so vulnerable. Had she really been so totally blinded by denial? Had it taken her to get this drunk to finally let her true feelings out? Frantically she tried to refute it, but it was no use, despite all her best efforts, she couldn't deny it any longer; she loved him. Leaning against the wall, her body trembled as she wept silently, tormented by the jarring truth.

There was a long silence before Sportacus spoke. 'Come on, you've had too much to drink, I'll take you home,' he said softly.

She didn't try to resist as he lifted her effortlessly into his arms, she felt emotionally exhausted. The tears continued to fall as she buried her face into his shoulder and wished with all her battered and confused heart that she could disappear to a place where no one would ever be able find her.

* * *

Back in his airship after returning Stephanie home, Sportacus sat on his bed grasping his blue waistcoat in his hands, staring at the salty patch where her tears had fallen earlier. If only she knew how it was nearly more than he could bear to see her cry. Her words had made his heart soar and he had wanted nothing more than to say them back to her, to soothe her with gentle caresses and assure her that she was perfect just the way she was, no matter what crazy things she did. However, as her mentor and counsellor, he hadn't let himself; he couldn't betray the trust and responsibility invested in him by the people of Lazytown - especially the Mayor. He gazed melancholy at the red scratches marking his upper arm. He felt as if he were caught in some merciless tug of war with no hope of escape. Being a hero, the feelings of helplessness and powerlessness were new and frustrating. 'Lights' he commanded downheartedly, laying the shirt carefully to one side. Stretching out on his bed he closed his eyes to try and get some sleep before dawn.


	5. Chapter 5

Stephanie clutched stubbornly at her pillow, pulling it tightly about her ears in a brave effort to block out the insistent beeping of her alarm. She tossed and turned trying to delay the inevitable, but was eventually forced to concede defeat. Sitting up she swung her legs onto the floor and tapped down on the alarm clock to stop the irritating noise. She glanced bleary-eyed at the big red digits: 08:30. Normally she would never get up this early on a weekend, however since her scandalous behaviour (as it was now referred to) of last Saturday night, or more accurately Sunday morning, her uncle had decided that a bit of voluntary work was required for her to 'learn about responsibility', as he put it. A wave of sadness and embarrassment washed over her as she hazily recollected the end of the night in question when she had spilt her heart out in front of Sportacus and he had simply acted like nothing had happened. She dropped her head in her hands, mortified by the memories; boy did she regret drinking so much. At least when explaining the evening's events, Sportacus had omitted to mention that part to her uncle. Thinking of Sportacus, she blushed guiltily as a few of the dreams she had recently experienced starring the boy in blue popped into mind. Hastily pushing the thoughts from her head she went into the bathroom and stepped into the shower.

After getting dressed and eating breakfast she snatched up the heavy rucksack she had prepared the night before. Shouting goodbye to her uncle, who was busy reading in his study, she trudged out the door and off to the Sportsfield where she found Trixie already waiting.

'So remind me, why are we doing this again?' Trixie asked, looking aggravated as a small girl ran past screaming.

'Because it was either this or litter picking, remember?' Stephanie answered, 'plus this way we get to go camping'. Though she didn't let on, Stephanie was secretly grateful that Trixie had been sidled with the same fate after admitting to her parents that she too had gone out nightclubbing in Casinopolis.

'I'm starting to think we should have gone with the litter, at least it stays put' Trixie said sullenly.

Stephanie just shrugged her shoulders, resigned to their fate.

Trixie eyed Stephanie suspiciously. 'So where is she?' she asked at length, 'where are you hiding the real Stephanie?' She pretended to search behind her friend. 'Seriously though, ever since that night out you've been acting a lot less…well…you' she observed.

Stephanie quickly pretended that she was too busy searching for something important in her rucksack to answer. It was true though; she had felt less irritable and bad tempered since consciously accepting her feelings for Sportacus, just a lot sadder and heartbroken.

'Oh wonderful, here comes our great leader' Trixie remarked, spying a plump middle-aged woman waddling towards them.

'Hi girls, glad you could make it' Mrs Whitaker said cheerily, 'we'll be setting off in about fifteen minutes, so if you two could round up all the kids, do a role call and get them lined up by then'

'Right no problem…big bird…errr… I mean brown owl.' Trixie quickly corrected herself.

Stephanie suppressed a grin.

After tracking down the last girl and making sure everyone was present and accounted for, they were ready to head off.

'Right everyone find your buddy!' shouted Mrs Whitaker. 'Stephane, Trixie, take the lead, I'll stay at the back to help any stragglers'. Heaving their rucksacks onto her back the two helpers lead the group out to the outskirts of Lazytown and onto the forest trail.

Over two hours later and just as they were starting what seemed to Stephanie as the zillionith game of eye spy they finally arrived at a wide open grassy field, beyond which was a slightly smaller field with a small wooden hut at the far end.

'This is it!' called Mrs Whitaker, striding up from the back of the group.

'Thank god, my shoulders are killing me' muttered Trixie, dumping her rucksack on the ground.

'Right everyone take a breather and then start setting up your tents' Mrs Whitaker instructed, 'Stephanie and Trixie will help if you have any problems'.

She took Stephanie and Trixie over to one side. 'When you're done you might want to take the girls down to the lake to feed the ducks, but be careful not to let them wade in, there are submerged rocks that could easily trip them up. In any case there are lifebuoys, not that you should need them - heaven's forbid. Oh and I've also notified Sportacus of our outing so if there is any trouble he will know exactly where to find us'.

At the mention of Spotacus's name, Stephanie winced, struggling to hold back the tide of emotions threatening to engulf her again.She noticed Trixie giving her an odd sideways glance. 'Right, I'd better go sort out the activities unpack the food.' With that Mrs Whitiker promptly walked off leaving them to it.

After an entire day of games, singing and later helping the girls cook sausages over the open fire it was finally time for the brownies to settle in for the night - and more importantly - a chance for the helpers to finally grab a substantial bite to eat. Worn out and ravenous they tucked eagerly into the leftover sausages.

'I'm shattered' grumbled Trixie around a mouthful of food as she wolfed down the last few bites. 'I'm off to bed' she announced, shoving her plate into a bowlful of soapy water and stifling a yawn with her palm she slumped off back to their shared tent. 'I'll be there in a sec' Stephanie called wearily, hurriedly finishing off the last bit of her meal.

By the time Stephanie made it back Trixie was already curled up in her sleeping bag fast asleep. Stephanie hastily got changed into her pyjamas and was just zipping up her tent for the night when a small girl, whom Stephanie vaguely recalled as being named Stacey, suddenly appeared out of the darkness in front of her.

'Stephanie, I need to tell you something' the girl said nervously.

'Yes?' Stephanie sighed, hoping that whatever she wanted it would be quick.

The girl hesitated.

'It's ok, whatever it is you can tell me' Stephanie encouraged, sensing her reluctance.

'Earlier on when we were down at the lake I heard Samantha and Katie talking about coming back after dark… and now they're gone' the girl confided gingerly.

Stephanie frowned; the last thing she wanted to deal with now was two missing kids.

'And you've looked everywhere for them?' she asked. 'Everywhere I could think of'.

Stephanie rubbed her forehead dozily trying to decide what to do. She looked down at Trixie who was now snoring softly in her sleep.

'Alright, I'll go and see if I can find them by the lake', she decided 'would you go and tell Mrs Whitaker where I've gone?'

'Mrs Whitaker?' The girl looked confused.

'Oh yeah sorry, brown owl'

The girl's expression cleared and she darted off to find the group leader.

Picking up her torch Stephanie walked over to the edge of the campsite and began negotiating a path cautiously between the huge pine trees, carefully following a shortcut she had discovered earlier. With every step she became more alert as the cold night breeze whipped past her face. Approaching the lake she could plainly see the two girls silhouetted in the moonlight, standing on a rocky ledge that overhung the far side of the lake. Their voices carried clearly on the wind to where Stephanie was standing.

'Go on, it's not that far!'

'No I can't, it's too high!'

'Fine, well I'm going to, you can stay here!'

Stephanie watched in horror, the torch slipping from her hands, as a girl with ginger hair, whom Stephanie recognised as Samantha, walked out to the edge of the overhang and pinched her nose. 'No don't!' Stephanie shouted at the top of her lungs, but it was too late, the girl had already stepped off the edge.

There was a large splash and then the water was still. Stephanie made it to the waters edge just as the girl resurfaced. She let out of sigh of relief but the breath caught in her throat as a high-pitch scream rang out across the lake.

Straight away, without even a second thought, Stephanie waded out into the murky water and began to swim out to the distressed girl. She felt a dull ache start up in her side, but ignored it; Samantha's terrified cries driving her on. After a couple of minutes she was there and using all her energy, she helped keep the younger girl afloat. Recalling what Mrs Whitaker had said earlier on in the day she shouted out hoarsely to the remaining girl on the bank: 'We need the buoy! Get the buoy from the stand!'

A few minutes later a bright orange ring buoy landed a few yards away in the water. Grabbing it Stephanie pulled it over Samantha's head and under her arms. By this time the pain in her side had grown sharper and her arms and legs were tiring fast.

With Samantha safely resting in the ring she decided it would be best to return back to land to get help. She kicked her feet out and immediately shrieked in agony as an excruciating white hot pain flashed down her side. Spluttering, she inadvertently gulped in a mouthful of water as her head dipped briefly underwater. Thrashing about, she frantically tried to propel herself forwards but realised with panic that there was little chance she would be able to make it back to shore. Treading water she mustered all her strength, seeking to keep her head above water, but she could only scream in her mind as another sharp stab of pain paralysed her with agony and choking she went under again, water flooding into her lungs. Gasping, she resurfaced but felt cold, numbed, strangely detached, and, as her mind began to drift, she could hear nothing bar the racing of her heart beating loudly in her ears. Drawing breath with extreme difficulty she felt herself weakening and then everything slowed down around her. Sinking below the surface Stephanie reached up towards the pale round moon. 'Sportacus where are you? I need you' she thought desperately just before her vision faded into blackness.


	6. Chapter 6

Sportacus landed nimbly on the ground, the crystal on the front of his chest glowing brightly, a beacon of hope in the enshrouding darkness. Taking in the sight of the two terrified, screaming girls pointing frantically to a spot in the water it rapidly dawned on him that someone had gone under. Saying a quick thank you to whatever had made him decide to park his airship over the brownie camp for the night, he ran out into the water.

It only took a few seconds for him to swim out to the point where they were indicating. On the first dive he found nothing, but on the second he bumped up against a limp form. With crushing dread he recognised Stephanie, her face pale and taut, her eyes closed tightly shut.

Snaking an arm around her waist he tugged her back up towards the surface. Once above the water he swept her damp hair from off her face and leant in to detect any signs of breathing, but she remained still and unmoving. 'Please don't take her from me', he pleaded soundlessly, appealing to any divine being that might be listening. 'I haven't even told her how much she means to me'. Hastily he swam back to shore.

As he climbed up the wet muddy back, Mrs Whitaker along with Trixie and a few other brownies emerged from the surrounding wood and came running over. He laid Stephanie, still unconscious down on a grassy patch and began emergency resuscitation. The others crowded around, their faces drawn with apprehension whilst Sportacus battled to save her live. Twice he pumped her chest with no luck, but he refused to give up hope. Finally, as he bent down to breathe into her mouth for the third time, she wretched violently, coughing up water. Overwhelmed with relief he rolled her onto her side as she continued to gag, gasping in deep breaths of fresh air. After taking a few minutes to make sure she was going to be ok, he returned to the water to rescue Samantha, still floating out on the lake. Upon reaching her he noted that she must have broken her leg by the way it was bent awkwardly to one side. He carefully towed her back to the shallows where he removed the buoy and hoisted her over his shoulder.

By the time the air ambulance touched down both Samantha and Stephanie were inside the scoutmaster's wooden hut, sitting in front of a hot fire, smothered with blankets yet still shivering with shock and cold.

'Over here' Mrs Higgins shouted urgently, ushering the paramedics through the doorway over to the two shaken girls. Carrying out a thorough examination of Samantha they confirmed Sportacus's prognosis of a broken leg, diagnosing Stephanie with only mild shock. Having had a quiet word with the both girls, one of the medics approached Mrs Whitaker and Sportacus for a chat.

'From what I've heard you really saved that girl's life' he said shaking Sportacus's hand and nodding towards Stephanie.

Sportacus smiled faintly, worry still clouding his blue eyes. 'Will she be alright?' he asked anxiously.

'Yeah, Stephanie will be fine all she needs is a bit of rest' the medic replied assuredly, 'It appears that she ran into trouble because of a bad cramp, most likely from going in the water straight after eating. Still if she hadn't had gone in Samantha probably wouldn't be here at this moment.' Mrs Whitaker interrupted with a low wail causing the medic to pause before continuing. 'We're going to have to take Samantha back with us to hospital so we can realign and cast her leg but there's no reason why Stephanie can't remain here. She'll need to be kept warm though, and it would be best if someone kept a close eye on her for the next twenty-four hours.'

Mrs Whitaker watched on, wringing her hands, as Samantha was stretchered out to the awaiting helicopter. Looking nerve racked she pulled Sportacus to one side. 'Thank havens you were here, what a disaster! I'll have to go and give Samatha's parents a call straight away. Trixie's back at the campsite looking after the girls but I should really get back there too. There's no point in us heading home until tomorrow morning now. I'll ring up the other parents first thing and let them know that what's happened.' She glanced over at Stephanie. 'It would be best if Stephanie stayed by the fire; I hate to ask you after all you've done already, but would you be ok to stay here and watch over her?' she enquired hopefully.

'Of course, it's no problem' Sportacus reassured her.

'Right, I'm off then, oh and try and see that Stephanie gets some rest – I think there's a mattress in the corner she can use' With that she picked up a torch and headed towards the door. 'No dear, you stayhere where it's warm' she chided kind-heartedly as Stephanie made to get up and follow. Flicking on the torch Mrs Whitaker disappeared out the door.

Shutting the door behind Mrs Whitaker, Sportacus turned off the lights, leaving the room bathed only in the dull red light of the burning fire. He found the mattress propped up vertically in a corner of the room and tipped it over onto the floor, shifting it until it lay next to Stephanie, who continued to stare quietly into the flames. It was left to Sportacus to break the awkward silence. 'The medics say you need to stay warm' he told her, picking up some spare blankets and throwing them onto the mattress 'and you should try and get some sleep'. Bending down he scooped her up into his arms.

Her pulse quickening, Stephanie furtively tried to avoid his gaze; being so close and yet not being able to reach out and touch him she felt trapped, the victim of some sublime torture, unaware that Sportacus himself had struggled under the same burden for the past few years.

'Are you thirsty?' he asked troubled by her silence. Stephanie nodded still looking away.

Setting her down on the mattress he walked into the small adjacent bathroom to fetch a glass of water from the sink. Coming back into the room he sat down beside her, waiting until she had finished drinking before gently pulling the extra covers around her shoulders. 'Stephanie, promise me you won't ever do anything like that again, for a moment I thought…' he swallowed hard, looking away. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the voice at the back of his mind screaming high treason, he reached out and took hold of her hand, clasping it in both of his. 'I couldn't say it before and I'm sorry but I want you to know how much you mean to me. I love you Stephanie, I always have'

Finally Stephanie returned his gaze, her brown eyes searching his blue ones until she could no longer doubt that he was telling the truth.

'And I love you just the way you are' he added softly, pushing back a wisp of hair that had strayed across her face.

In the firelight she looked dazzlingly beautiful and Sportacus couldn't stop himself from leaning in and giving her a kiss. She reciprocated, parting her lips so that their tongues danced together in a passionate embrace. Feeling her shiver Sportacus broke the clinch. He hesitated, wavering for a few seconds but then opened the blankets drawing them around them both. Lying down he hugged her shivering form to his, flooding her with his body heat. Stephanie shivered again but this time at the thrill of his touch. Tentatively Stephanie took hold of his hand weaving their fingers together.

'About the things I said…' she said, her voice weak with tiredness, 'I'm sorry…I guess I was just scared'

'It's ok' he reassured her, nuzzling her neck.

Sportacus felt her slowly relax against him, her shivers subsiding in their shared warmth. After a while her breathing became deeper and more even and he knew she had fallen asleep. Basking in the warmth of the fire, feeling like the luckiest guy alive, he found it increasingly difficult to keep from dozing off.


End file.
